England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has undergone successful surgery for a long-standing shoulder issue.
The 22-year-old is expected to miss the whole of Real’s pre-season and at least the first six weeks of the campaign, which would include England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia in September.
Bellingham has struggled with the problem since 2023, when he dislocated his shoulder in a game against Rayo Vallecano.
Real said he will now undergo a period of rehabilitation before returning to training.
The Spanish club, under new manager Xabi Alonso, start their La Liga season at home to Osasuna on 19 August.
Bellingham has worn strapping on his shoulder, but told reporters in June he was “tired of playing with the sling”.
Real scheduled his surgery for after the Club World Cup in the United States, where they were beaten in the semi-finals by Paris St-Germain last week.
Bellingham joined Real from Borussia Dortmund for £115m two years ago and won the La Liga title and Champions League in his first season, scoring 23 goals in 43 appearances.
He scored 15 goals in 58 games last season, with Real losing the league title to Barcelona and knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal.-BBC
